Meet John Whaite: Strictly Come Dancing 2021 contestant and former GBBO winner
The former GBBO winner was the fourth name to be announced for this year's series.
John Whaite and his Strictly Come Dancing pro partner Johannes Radebe are now tantalisingly close to the title, as they enter the final.
After two more brilliant routines in the semi-final – including both an extremely emotional Couple's Choice and the highest-scoring Jive of the series – John managed a total of 78 points, which put him just one point behind fellow finalist Rose Ayling-Ellis on the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard.
He then managed to emerge victorious in the dreaded dance-off, and will now be looking to save his best for last and emerge with the Glitterball trophy in the series closer.
Sadly, OJ Odudu won't be joining John and Rose in the final due to her dropping out over a leg injury.
So, has he done enough to be named Strictly Come Dancing 2021 champion?
As his Strictly journey continues, read on for everything you need to know about John Whaite.
Who is John Whaite?
Age: 33
Instagram: john_whaite
Job: Baker and former Great British Bake Off winner
Partnered with: Johannes Radebe
John Whaite shot to fame when he won the third series of The Great British Bake Off in 2012, aged just 23 – and he has successfully carved out a career as a TV personality and baker in the nine years since.
He has been a regular face on the small screen, with regular cooking slots on Lorraine and more recently Steph’s Packed Lunch, in addition to appearances on This Morning, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Sunday Brunch.
In 2016 and 2017 he was one of the presenters of the short-lived ITV daytime cookery competition show Chopping Block alongside Rosemary Shrager, while he has also released four cookery books
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John's Strictly journey
Scoreboard
Week One: Tango (7 + 7 + 8 + 8) = 30
Week Two: Cha Cha (8+ 8 + 8 + 7) = 31
Week Three: Paso Doble (9 + 10 + 10 + 10) = 39
Week Four: American Smooth (6 + 7 + 8 + 9) = 29
Week Five: Charleston (9 + 9 + 10 + 10) = 38
Week Six: Quickstep (8 + 8 + 9 + 8) = 33
Week Seven: Rumba (8 + 8 + 10 + 9) = 35
Week Eight: Samba (9 + 10 + 10 + 9) = 38
Week Nine: Viennese Waltz (8 + 8 + 8 + 8) = 32
Week 10: Argentine Tango (9 + 10 + 10 + 10) = 39
Week 11: Salsa (7 + 8 + 8 + 9) = 32
Week 12: Couple's Choice (9 + 10 + 10 + 10) + Jive (9 + 10 + 10 + 10) = 78
John said he was "grateful, excited, and nervous" about joining the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line-up after he was confirmed as a contestant by current GBBO host Matt Lucas on the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show.
“I’ve been wearing sequins and jazzy attire since I was three years old and can’t wait to hurl myself, full throttle, around the most glamorous dance floor on earth," he said.
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“What’s more exciting for me, is that I’m going to be one half of the first all-male partnership, which is a great step forward in representation and inclusion.
“Whoever it is I’m paired with, I hope they are up for a challenge as I want our routines to include lots of spectacular lifts!”
Strictly Come Dancing continues this weekend on BBC One. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide. Visit our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
